Simple DIY Ground Cardamom Substitutes

Cardamom provides a unique flavor and depth to dishes that is hard to substitute.  I highly recommend picking some up from the store or ordering online as there is no perfect replacement. But, if you are in the middle of cooking and need a quick fix, you can find a ground cardamom substitute likely in your kitchen cabinet along with a garam masala substitute and kashmiri chili powder substitute.

Quick Links

• 📗 About Cardamom
• Types of Cardamom
• Considerations For Substitute
• Cardamom Substitute Ideas
• Substitute for Black Cardamom
• Where to Buy Cardamom
• Recipe Card

About Cardamom

Cardamom is a fragrant spice that has floral, citrusy. mild spice and notes of sweet. Since it hits so many flavor notes it is definitely a complex spice. Cardamom is used as ground powder, seeds from a pod or even used as a whole spice.

Cardamom is in the ginger family.  It can provide warmth and sweet and can be used across both savory dishes and sweet dishes.  This spice provides great depth of flavor.

As you will note in this guide to Indian spices, it is used often in Indian cooking. It is especially used often in Indian sweets. Also, it is found in many Indian spice blends such as chai masala powder or garam masala. Whole cardamom pods or whole seeds are used often in tadkas or tempering of oil to bring complex flavor to dishes.  

It even tastes great to make some iced cardamom coffee or coconut cardamom hot chocolate.

Types of Cardamom

White Cardamom (really just green cardamom that went through a bleaching process)

White cardamom is used less often.  Since it is really just green cardamom that has gone through a bleaching process it is similar to green cardamom.  It loses some of its flavor in the bleaching process so it not as strong flavor of cardamom as the other two.

Considerations when picking a good Ground cardamom substitute

Type of dish

Sweet or savory: Understanding what flavors you are looking for in the dish can help you to pick a cardamom replacement. If you are making a sweet dish such as cardamom apple puff pastry, you may be looking for the warmth, but not so focused on the spicy flavor.  For a savory dish, you may look to add an extra little pinch of black pepper to mimic that cardamom flavor.

Form of spice

Ground or powder form, whole pods or seeds: For most baking dishes and drinks it is likely you are looking for a ground cardamom substitute.  Whereas, for Indian dishes in which you may use whole seeds or pods, it is important to understand that ground spices cannot be tempered in oil, so you will add your cardamom substitute to the recipe itself instead of tempering it in oil.

Type of cardamom

Green, black or white: As noted above, there are some differences in the flavor of each type.  So, while picking considering the best cardamom substitutes, you may want to account for the differences in taste. 

Cardamom Substitute Ideas

Since cardamom is widely used for its sweet, warm and spicy flavor, some of the best substitutes are a combination of spices that give those flavors.  A combination of ingredients such as allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, coriander seeds and cloves are examples of some options.  

Use the table below to find some ideas. 

Note, each ratio states the amount to substitute for 1 teaspoon of cardamom.  It is always good to start with a little less and work your way up so you don’t completely alter the taste you are looking to produce.

I’ve offered a variety of blends to help in a pinch, pick what you have readily available!

#	Blend	Notes
1	1 tsp cardamom seeds	Grind in coffee grinder to make powder
2	¼ tsp cinnamon + ¾ tsp allspice	Great for sweet and savory dishes
3	½ tsp cinnamon + ½ tsp ginger	Adjust quantity of cinnamon based on dish you are making
4	½ tsp cinnamon + ½ tsp nutmeg + pinch of black pepper or ginger	Nutmeg adds a floral element.  A pinch of black pepper or ginger gives a little heat.
5½ tsp cinnamon + ½ tsp ground clovesSweet and spicy 6¾ tsp apple pie spice + pinch of black pepperSweet and hint of spice7¼ tsp start anise powder + ½ tsp  coriander + ¼ tsp gingerGood for Indian dishes8½ tsp cumin powder + ½ tsp coriander powderSavory recipes

Substituting Green Cardamom for Black Cardamom

9

1:1 green cardamom

Add a pinch of smoked salt for the smoky flavor

Where to buy cardamom

Cardamom is found readily at the grocery store.  It is known to be an expensive spice.  If you use the spice often, you can find it at a good price at Indian grocery stores.

I always say, when you are in the middle of cooking the best option is what you have on hand in your spice cabinet.  Be ready to not be able to replicate cardamom exactly since it has a distinctive flavor, but find a suitable substitute that gives you similar flavor notes!

Recipe